Cabinet Minister Arden McLean veered widely off-topic in a Legislative Assembly debate Wednesday to criticise talk-show host Ellio Solomon for comments he had made on-air about the behavior of politicians in the Legislative Assembly.
Mr. McLean had been contributing to a debate on the importance of women in the Cayman Islands when he began his attack on Mr. Solomon, who was sitting in the Legislative Assembly’s public gallery.
‘These talk-show hosts need a broader understanding of what Parliament is all about,’ Mr. McLean said. ‘If they want to talk about behaviour, they should at least be properly dressed when they come here (to the Legislative Assembly).’
Mr. Solomon was wearing a polo-shirt and jeans, with sunglasses hanging on a cord from his neck.
On Thursday, Clerk of the Legislature Wendy Lauer said visitors in the public gallery are expected to wear formal attire as a mark of respect for the Legislature.
This means a shirt and trousers, at the least, with a jacket and tie preferable, she explained.
Continuing his attack, Mr. McLean said Mr. Solomon needs to understand that the Legislative Assembly is an ‘adversarial court’, where member can agree and disagree, and where debate and counter-debate is important.
‘This (assembly) is not only about controversy, and this is not the only parliament that disagrees or agrees.’
But, he said, members of the Legislative Assembly generally work toward one common goal and motions such as the present one recognising the contribution of women to the Cayman Islands showed that both sides of the house could work together and agree.
Mr. Mclean invited Mr. Solomon to visit the House of Commons in the UK or parliaments throughout the Caribbean to see how they work.
House Speaker Edna Moyle interrupted Mr. McLean, asking him to tie what he was saying to the current debate.
‘We work together for what is the common good of this country,’ he said. ‘If the opposition brings a motion that is in the common interest, we work together … like this motion about women; we all agree.’
Mr. McLean said he expected his comments to be discussed again on Cayman Crosstalk the following day.
‘I know everyone has declared their candidacy, so it’s open field,’ Mr. McLean said – a lightly veiled reference to Mr. Solomon’s apparent political aspirations – before apologising to the house for deviating off-topic.
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